Oh and the couple year old Explorer that the shop accidentally blew some master fuse when changing the battery thats jammed in the cowl. It knocked out the power steering. Thankfully Ford created a system that retains the Armstrong steering effort at low and highway speeds. I have driven plenty of vehicles with knocked out power steering or factory manual steering and none were as much garbage as the Ford. I have to really hand it to them for going above and beyond to create a product as un-user friendly as one can get. Tip of the hat.
Fords are built different
- Thread starter bluedragon81
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That is a Duratec engine used by Ford Escape, Fusion, Focus and Transit and Mazda Tribute. I was always on a company business trip to NYC and Ford Escape were the king of taxi cabs. And the mileage on these cabs surpass 400K miles. Yes I talk to the cabbie drivers about their Escapes on my way to and from the airport.
That's a 4 banger, that is either a 2.3 or a 2.5, but either will outlive him.
I think HIM is a HER. Based on previous post.
I'm most surprised that they don't even know what model ford they bought.. how do you buy parts for it?
A parts "person" asks them a bunch of questions, maybe eventually has to look at the VIN on the registration, then twists the top off the unopened pickle jar they brought in.
Only to have the customer say "they're al the same, can I have someone help me who knows what they are doing?"
OVERKILL
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Uhhh, no, HEI and Duraspark appeared around the same time and they both disappeared around the mid 80's. From the mid-80's forward, Ford went with TFI (Thick Film Ignition) mated to their EEC-IV engine computer, which remained the staple for more than a decade in distributor-equipped applications. GM Optispark put the distributor on the front of the timing cover behind the water pump, those were fun.
Ford didn't make a 4.8 Modular. If you are going to talk smack, at least get the basics right. You are thinking of the 4.6L Romeo and the 4.6L Windsor.
It was never secret. The lo-po 302's kept the 289 firing order, the 351 had a different firing order. When Ford made the high output 302, it received the 351 firing order, 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8.
I mean, how many 350's did GM produce? We had the Olds 350, the Pontiac 350, the Buick 350 and the Chevrolet 350
The 351 Windsor was supposed to be the "heavy duty" variant with its large 3" mains
The 351 Cleveland was supposed to be the "high performance" variant with its high flowing heads
The 351 Modified was basically just a destroked 400 Cleveland designed to stand-in for insufficient 351W production capacity
4WD
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anyway 
I love this reference but do not understand it. ...sour puss?
dnewton3
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For every example of a a good Brand X, there's an example of a bad Brand Y, and terrible Brand Z.
I've had good Fords and bad ones. I've not had a lot of GM products, but the one I did buy was fantastic for 9 years, then it turned to total crap in the last three years; to say it was challenged with corrosion is a gross understatement. I've driven a lot of Chryslers in LEO; some of them were not at all impressive, and some were OK.
Everyone has a good/bad experience with a product and let's that experience taint their POV.
Should we be surprised?
I've had good Fords and bad ones. I've not had a lot of GM products, but the one I did buy was fantastic for 9 years, then it turned to total crap in the last three years; to say it was challenged with corrosion is a gross understatement. I've driven a lot of Chryslers in LEO; some of them were not at all impressive, and some were OK.
Everyone has a good/bad experience with a product and let's that experience taint their POV.
Should we be surprised?
I love all my Fords.
So replace the rack
I've done two Ford electric racks, a pick n pull and a refurbished that was a lot more expensive. Not horribly hard job.
I've done two Ford electric racks, a pick n pull and a refurbished that was a lot more expensive. Not horribly hard job.
HEI was in use until '95. After, OBDII became the standard and the last of the distributor ignitions went away. The Cadillac 4.9 is the last engine I can think of that still had a distributor and may be the most recent implementation of HEI. Optispark is it's own animal.
Admittedly, unlike other "others", HEI was unique in that it went it's entire life ('73-'95) without significant revision and at least ended up with some sort of positive reputation. Doesn't mean anything. But, it happened.
ANYWAY, definitely some bone-headed designs have come from the Blue Oval. The laughable IWE hubs come to mind. But then, that's happened many times over many other manufacturers. Not sure what nitpicking specific failures teaches us.
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IMO modern vehicles are not designed for long-term ownership. They are throw-away just like smart phones and computers. Designed to have the latest features and be as efficient as possible, not to be easy to work on or economical to repair. Why do you think the automotive repair industry is seeing the largest technician shortage in decades? New cars are safer, more comfortable, and more efficient than ever before, but that comes with a cost, especially living in a rural salt-belt area where mice and salt spray are the number 1 enemy of wiring and modules.
OVERKILL
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OK, I thought something changed there when they went TPI in the F-body and TBI in the trucks in the mid-to-late 80's, like at Ford and it was no longer "HEI".
There was some evolution as far as features go. For example, the addition of electronically controlled spark advance to eliminate the old traditional centrifugal/mechanical setup. However, at it's core, the HEI system was pretty much unchanged.
OVERKILL
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Ahhh, OK, so kinda similar to how Ford carried on TFI after EEC-IV with EEC-V as they migrated to DIS and COP?
Not exactly.
Even at the basic level, there are some fundamental hardware and module differences between the muliple Durasparks, TFI, EEC setups.
HEI is HEI.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
OK. I'm very familiar with the Ford stuff, not so much the GM.
Yeah, the first time I opened the hood when I was buying my Focus was a bit of a shock... Not too pretty! But that was 12+ years ago and it all still works! No crumbly wires or made with rodent attractant insulation, all the black plastic seems to not get brittle, no plastic cracking coolant junctions... No head gasket problems or timing chain issues. Its not pretty but it seems to work well. (knock on wood)I have never seen an engine like this before , they definitely built ford different and not so much tough .
I have never seen a engine where all the wires are right on top of it , and of course the power steering is electric which doesn't work but he'll my arms are getting pretty strong having to turn the corners .
It's especially fun when I'm blocked in between two other cars I have to inch my way out where a normal vehicle with power steering wouldn't have trouble getting out with one back up and forward motion.
It'll take me 5 minutes to get out of spot with a car in front and in back of me .
Yes the car was recalled because of the electric power steering fails.
.but I bought this car for $550 it runs and moves forward and backwards it's all that matters (aside the brakes working)
So anyone want to trade me for a Mazda?
(It's got to have the same 3 function as this ford though)
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